US judge tries to block deportation of Salvadorian native to Liberia

A United States federal judge has requested assurances that officials will not deport Kilmar Abrego Garcia while an injunction preventing his removal from the US is in effect.

Recently, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced plans to deport the Salvadoran national to Liberia, one of several potential African destinations.

Abrego Garcia, who entered the US in 2011 fleeing gang violence in El Salvador, is married to an American citizen and has children.

In 2019, an immigration judge granted him protection against deportation to El Salvador, citing a well-founded fear of violence from a gang targeting his family.

The judge has inquired why ICE did not consider deporting Abrego Garcia to Costa Rica, a country willing to accept him as a refugee and promising not to re-deport him to El Salvador. Abrego Garcia has expressed willingness to relocate there.

His legal representative argued that suggesting Liberia as a deportation destination is inappropriate, as he has no connections to the country.

Previously, Abrego Garcia was mistakenly deported to El Salvador, where he was detained despite having no criminal record. He became a notable figure in discussions on US immigration policy. Following public and legal intervention, he was returned to the US and detained on charges related to human smuggling.

Last week, Liberia indicated its willingness to accept Abrego Garcia if deported from the US, clarifying that it had not been subjected to diplomatic pressure to do so. Other African nations, including Eswatini, Ghana, South Sudan, and Rwanda, have also agreed to accept US deportees, despite some public and civil society opposition.

Based on reporting by Africanews.